Hide and Seek
by darkwriter14
Summary: When Ayano falls victim to an evil demon, it's up to Kazuma to solve the awful case of hide and seek--before it's too late!
1. Chapter 1

Hello, darkwriter14 here! This is my first Kaze no Stigma fanfiction, and I hope you'll enjoy it!

~I do not own any rights to Kaze no Stigma~

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I stomped over the bridge of the koi pond in frustration. _Stupid Kazuma!_ I thought in frustration and anger. _Stupid Valentine's Day!_

Of course, somebody had just _had_ to have the stupid holiday that was coming up tomorrow. And, of course, I just _had_ to have a crush on Kazuma Yagami, the Contractor of the wind spirits and my personal bodyguard.

"Dammit!" I yelled, kicking a rock into the pond. Ripples spread out and slowly faded away the further they got from their center. And, of course, my friends Yukari and Nanase had been pestering me nonstop about getting Kazuma a valentine, which I had been hesitantly planning on, but hadn't.

_Maybe I could secretly leave some chocolates on his doorstep or something, _I thought. I quickly banished it when I realized that Kazuma wasn't stupid. He would know it was me from the very start. And I was absolutely, positively _not_ giving some to him to his face!

I felt myself getting angrier and angrier, felt my temperature rising. It wouldn't be so hard if I _knew_ that he didn't feel the same way about me! How did I know that fact? I just did. It was my instinct.

I began to yell angrily, and pelted rocks into the pond as fast as I could. _Stupid, stupid, stupid!_ I cried inwardly.

"Wow, this is a sight."

I turned to see Kazuma leaning against a tree, watching me with a smirk on his face. Idiot. "Why are you standing there watching me, you pervert?" I snapped at him, trying not to blush as I remembered why I had been throwing rocks into the pond like I was trying to kill it.

"Because it was amusing." He smirked again. "Why were you so mad?"

"N-n-none of your damn business!" I said, brushing past him.

I heard Kazuma sigh. "I wasn't really here just to watch you have a tantrum," he said.

"Oh, _really_?" I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "Then why _were_ you here?"

He gave an arrogant grin. "We have a mission. Let's go."

……………………………………………

I walked silently next to Kazuma, fuming inwardly. He was nonchalant, an annoying little grin on his face. Our case, which had been a monster down in the subway, I had totally bombed. I had somehow managed to screw things up a little, seeing as we hadn't really had any cases to take care of lately. Of course, Kazuma had been the one to defeat it, so now I was left in the dust and feeling worthless.

"I told you we should have taken some time to practice," Kazuma pointed out to me as we walked along the sidewalk

"You shut up!" I snarled, turning to glare at him.

Kazuma shrugged. "I was just saying."

I continued to storm down the sidewalk, but after a few seconds I realized Kazuma wasn't with me anymore. Not being able to resist, I turned to see him looking into the door of a sushi place.

"I have something to do," he said, catching me looking at him. "You can go home."

My brow twitched. He was dis_missing_ me? How dare he! "Excuse me?" I said stonily.

Kazuma sighed. "I have some business to take care of," he said. "Go home." He glanced at me once before opening the door and disappearing inside the shop.

For a moment, I just stood there seething and wondering what he was doing. Finally, I crept forward and peeked around the corner and into the store.

Kazuma was sitting at a table, talking to detective Tachibana.

The first thing I felt when I saw them was pain. How come Kazuma was with _her_? Did he like her? It just wasn't fair! Why couldn't he like _me_?

I turned away and strode quickly down the sidewalk, trying to push the turmoil out of my heart and mind. Of course, though, it wasn't simple.

I suddenly saw Ren through the crowd ahead of me. He saw me, and started waving and smiling. Before I could go to him, though, a hand dropped on my shoulder. And before I could whirl around and tell whoever had touched me to get their hands off, a voice reached my ears and everything seemed to fade away. All there was anymore was the voice, and the person who belonged to the voice.

"Hello. What seems to be troubling you, miss?" a musical voice asked softly.

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Update soon! Read and review, please!!! ^-^


	2. Chapter 2

Hello again! Thanks for the nice reviews, and thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

~I do not own any rights to Kaze no Stigma~

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"Thank you for coming, Kazuma," Tachibana said as they took a seat at the table in the restaurant.

"No problem." Kazuma leaned back in his chair, watching detective Kirika Tachibana. "So, what's this case that you wanted to see me about?" he asked.

Kirika took a sip of her water before beginning. "Our organization has been presented with a problem. Lately girls have been disappearing, all in the same pattern, seemingly because of the same person. Unfortunately, we have no pictures of this person and only descriptions to go on. But you know how it is--there's a lot of people with blond hair, and a lot of people with blue eyes."

"What's the pattern of the disappearances?"

"It seems that the girls are always having an emotional instability when they disappear. Some have been really upset, and some really angry," Kirika explained. "Anyway, they disappear. Witnesses who saw the victims right before the time they disappeared have all said that they were seen with a young man of about 17 with short blond hair and blue eyes. One of the victim's friends was actually with the victim when the girl disappeared, and she said that as soon as the blond-haired boy started talking to her friend, she agreed with everything he said and seemed completely safe talking to him. The victim went off on a supposed 'date' with him, and she never met her friend back at her house, and never called her back."

Kazuma folded his arms, narrowing his eyes a little. "So we're dealing with a magic user?" he asked.

Kirika nodded. "It appears so."

"And I'm assuming you didn't call Ayano on this case because she's at risk, right?"

"Yes. That's exactly the reason." Kirika took another sip of her water.

"Okay. She gonna be pretty pissed when she finds out about this." Kazuma chuckled in amusement. "Well, is there anything else to the pattern that I need to know?"

Kirika hesitated, then nodded slowly. "Yes, there is. It's probably the worst part," she murmured.

Kazuma just looked at her and waited.

The detective sighed heavily. "Every time the victim disappears, a note is suddenly found in the apartment of the girl's boyfriend, or the person that she is in love with."

"So what does the note say? Is it the same every time?"

Kirika nodded in assent. "Yes, it is. Here, I have a note from a past incident." She reached into her purse and pulled out a small piece of paper, reaching out to hand it to Kazuma.

He looked down, unfolded it, and read it.

_"Congratulations. You and your friend, Fuyumi Sakamoto, have been selected to participate in my game of Hide and Seek. _

_You will have an hour and a half to look for your loved one. Look fast--her life depends on it._

_Please meet at the local park at the pond at 4:30 p.m. for further instructions. _

_Good luck, and see you soon._

_P.S.-If you should tell ANYONE of this or try to harm me, you will bring immediate harm to your loved one. Think hard before making rash decisions."_

"Wow. This guy's serious," Kazuma said darkly, peering down at the message.

"So you can see our problem," Kirika said with a nod.

"What do you want me to do?" Kazuma asked, passing back the paper.

"Ask around, look around," she said as she folded the paper neatly and placed it back in her purse. "Just stay alert and keep watch. We would appreciate the help."

Kazuma looked at her pointedly.

The detective sighed. "And yes, you will be paid."

"Thank you," Kazuma said with an arrogant smile. He pushed back his chair and stood up. "I'll be on my guard.

.....................................................

Kazuma unlocked his hotel room and pushed open the door. He tossed the key on the dresser, intending to just go in and relax on the couch, when a paper caught his eye. Quizzical, he walked over and picked up the neatly folded paper to look at it.

_"Congratulations. You and your friend, Ayano Kannagi, have been selected to participate in my game of Hide and Seek. _

_You will have an hour and a half to look for your loved one. Look fast--her life depends on it._

_Please meet at the local park at the pond at 4:30 p.m. for further instructions. _

_Good luck, and see you soon._

_P.S.-If you should tell ANYONE of this or try to harm me, you will bring immediate harm to your loved one. Think hard before making rash decisions."_

Kazuma froze, staring down at the paper. It took a moment for him to process this, seeing the same printed font as the note that Kirika had showed him not an hour before. When he realized what was going on, his heart plummeted in dread. He yanked his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed Ren, wishing for an answer that he knew he wouldn't get.

"Hello?" Ren said.

"Ren. Have you seen Ayano lately?"

"Earlier today I saw her in the city with some guy. She said they were going on a date."

Kazuma's fist tightened around the phone, and his lip lifted in a silent snarl. "What did the boy look like?"

"Oh! Um, uh!" stuttered Ren, sounding confused. "He looked like he was about the same age as Ayano. He had blond hair and blue eyes. Why?"

Kazuma gave a quiet growl_. That bastard_! he thought lividly.

Ren gave a nervous laugh upon hearing Kazuma's growl. "Kazuma?" he asked timidly. "Is something wrong?"

Kazuma's mind whirled. He couldn't tell Ren what was going on; it would freak him out. So he settled for hanging up his phone without saying another word.

_Stupid jackass! Damn this guy to hell!_

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Okay! Hope you liked the chapter! Read and review, please! ^-^


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks again for the reviews I got!!! They give me motivation!

~I do not own any rights to Kaze no Stigma~

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Kazuma stood suspended over the park, staring down at the figure below. He narrowed his eyes, barely reigning in his anger as the culprit of Ayano's disappearance stood right in front of him. He just wanted to _destroy_ the guy!

He forced himself to remain calm and slowly lower himself to the ground. "So, do you wanna tell me what your problem is and why you keep doing this?" Kazuma asked as his feet landed softly on the ground.

A boy of about 17 turned around to face him, a small, nonchalant smile on his lips. He was tall; about as tall as Kazuma, and had copper-tanned skin. "Hello, there," he said, perfectly polite. "It's Kazuma, right?"

"Don't you _dare_ talk to me like I'm your friend!" Kazuma said sharply.

The boy just turned fully around. "Alright. Then I'm guessing you don't want to know my name?" His tone was still gentle and reasonable.

Kazuma curled his hands into fists at his side. "No, I need to know it so we know what to put on your tombstone after I _rip you to shreds_!" Kazuma snarled threateningly.

The boy sighed softly. "So harsh," he murmured. "My name is Kenichi Seki."

"Wonderful. Glad to know, you little bastard. Now tell me why you keep doing this to people!" It was very hard for Kazuma to just stand there with Ayano's kidnapper--and potential murderer--right in front of him without doing anything to make him pay or regret his actions.

"Oh, so you know about my previous games," Kenichi said conversationally. He looked up at the sky, where the colors of the sunset were beginning to fade away into darker, more grotesque colors.

A faint breeze came and ruffled Kazuma's hair and clothes. He didn't take his eyes of Kenichi, not once. He wanted to figure out a way to destroy him without harming Ayano.

It had been so long after the question that Kazuma was sure Kenichi wasn't going to answer. But, finally, he turned around to face him. The look on his face was now grim and horrible: a twisted smile with the glinting of evil, malicious blue eyes. "I love to ruin your lives," he said darkly. "I enjoy taking away everything that matters to you...the things that matter to you the most. He reached up to a low-hanging branch of a cherry blossom tree and closed his hand around some pink blossoms. "I love to strip them away like blossoms from a cherry blossom tree." He smiled cruelly, and ripped the small flowers from the branch he held.

"You're sick," Kazuma snarled.

"Oh, I'm sure you think so, Kazuma," Kenichi said with an awful smile. "I'm sure you hate me right now. I'm also sure that you'll hate me a lot more when this game is over and Ayano is dead."

Kazuma's eyes widened slightly, and he stared into space. He had tried not to think about what would happen too much; hadn't wanted to face the facts. But he couldn't deny it now as it was thrown mockingly in his face: Ayano would most certainly die if he failed this mission. She would be gone forever, and then there would be nothing he could do or say to ever bring her back...just like Tsuo Rin. And the thought was so unbearable, it nearly killed him.

He couldn't lose her; he loved her too much. It would absolutely kill him if she died.

Kazuma felt a burning hatred rise up in his stomach. It scorched his stomach, burned in his throat. It was so strong, he could have killed him with one blow of magic right then. He opened his eyes, and summoned the wind around him to gather.

"I wouldn't do that, if I were you!" Kenichi called to him over the roaring of the wind. "Remember: harm to me is harm to her!"

Thinking this, Kazuma made himself calm down. The rough, swirling wind slowly died and vanished into the air. The only evidence left of Kazuma's hatred and anger was his burning eyes and his shaking shoulders.

"Very good!" praised Kenichi. "You have wonderful self control!"

"Shut up, you bastard!"

Kenichi sighed. "Call me what you like; it doesn't affect me." He turned and began to head out of the park.

"Wait a second!" Kazuma yelled. "Now where are you going, you little freak?!"

"You have until midnight to find her!" Kenichi called over his shoulder. "Better try your best and think your hardest; no one ever wins! She always dies!"

Kazuma literally restrained himself from chopping him in half. His fists were clenched so tightly his arms shook, and he suppressed the urge to destroy something with his wind magic.

_Okay. Better focus here,_ Kazuma thought, trying to stay calm. If he was propelled by fear, he wouldn't be able to think straight. _Where would he have hidden her?_

Of course, staying calm was easier said than done...even for Kazuma. He couldn't stop the flow of anguish that filled his soul at the thought of losing Ayano. _I WILL save you, Ayano!_ he thought. _I _will_!!!_

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Sorry if this is a boring--and short-- chapter! It kept _me_ going, but I don't know about you! And I hope I got Kazuma's past love's name right--did I??? Hopefully it did! Anyways, read and review, and hope to update soon! ^-^


	4. Chapter 4

Thank you once again for the wonderful reviews!!! The opinions are much appreciated! ^-^ Well, here's chapter 4, and hope you like it!

~I do not own any rights to Kaze no Stigma~

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Kazuma nearly collapsed against the bridge stretching over the pond of the Kannagi estate. To think that he'd been here with Ayano just hours before was unreal.

He'd been looking for hours now, and now it was already 8 p.m. He had looked everywhere that she could have been hidden: in alleys, in subways, in tunnels... But she hadn't showed up in any of those places. It seemed that every time he turned to look at a clock, another hour had already ticked down...another hour of Ayano's life gone.

_Dammit! _Kazuma slammed his fist against the wood of the bridge. He had looked everywhere he could think of! Was there a certain place--a place with a certain meaning--where Kenichi would have hidden her? What was he supposed to _do_?!

Kazuma clenched his teeth together tightly to keep himself from yelling furiously. The image of Ayano earlier that day came into his eyes, filling him with pain and anguish. Seeing her face, frustrated and angry, as she hurled rocks into the pond he could easily call cute. It was too hard not to.

Looking over the pond, though, it also reminded him of the day he'd promised that he would always make sure she was safe. Once again, he had broken a promise--once again, he had failed to keep the person he loved the most safe.

Kazuma tightened his fist in anger and stared into the water; the stars from the sky dancing on the liquid surface. What was he going to do? After all this time and after finally choosing the present over the past--choosing Ayano over Tsui Rin--how would he ever be able to go on if he lost Ayano?

A sudden presence beside him made him look up to find Ren standing next to him. "Ren?" Kazuma said quizzically. "What are you doing out here?"

Ren was silent for a moment and just stared into the water. Then he looked up with tears in his eyes. "Something happened to Ayano, didn't there?" he choked.

Kazuma's eyes widened. "Uh," he said, not really knowing what to say to his little brother.

"Kazuma, please bring her back!" Ren cried, flinging his arms around Kazuma's stomach. "Please save her!"

Kazuma stared down at his little brother as sobs racked the boy's body. He wished fervently that he would be able to do what Ren believed he could...for the sake of them both.

"Don't worry, Ren," Kazuma murmured, putting his hand on Ren's head. "I'll get her back."

...............................................

But two hours later, Kazuma was no closer to the answer than he had been before. He found himself standing on top of a tall building, overlooking the bright and hurried city below. Ayano could have been anywhere in the city.

Kazuma's soul began spiraling down into despair, and he quickly looked at a mental picture of Kenichi. Whenever he began to get dejected, all he had to do was recall the sight of the maddening boy who had taking Ayano and then he was ready to go again. Anger was always good for fueling him on.

_"I enjoy taking away everything that matters to you...the things that matter to you the most. I love to strip them away like blossoms from a cherry blossom tree."_

Kazuma snarled in disgust and closed his eyes. Anyone who hurt people with a horrible reason like that was disgusting. He found himself wishing that Kenichi would never have been born.

_Wait, _he thought, suddenly stopping and not thinking about anything but the case. _There's something about that sentence Kenichi said... _He ran it through his head once more, paying close attention. It was connected to everything somehow--he knew it.

_"...like blossoms from a cherry blossom tree_."

Kazuma snapped his head up and stared over the city, his eyes widening_. _The sound of the city below him faded away, and he was suddenly absolutely sure he knew where Ayano was. He just hopped that Kenichi would stick to his 'rules' and release Ayano if he found her...

_"...like blossoms from a cherry blossom tree_."

Kazuma hurried as fast as the wind could carry him back to the park. He let the wind drop him a few feet from the sidewalk and hit the ground running. He was positive--no, _sure_--that he was right! Ayano would be here!

Kazuma came to a stop under the tree where he had been talking to Kenichi. He flew at the trunk, and began to scale the tree; ignoring the pink petals that floated lazily into his face.

When he reached the middle of the tree where all the branches came together, he cautiously put his hand out to test the area surrounding it. Sure enough, he felt a disturbance of air under his hand. He pushed it away with his magic, and there was Ayano: unconscious and sleeping in the tree. Kenichi had put some kind of barrier around her to keep Kazuma from sensing her there.

Before Kazuma could reach out to wake her up, though, a voice came from below him.

"This is impossible!" Kenichi snarled. "How did you find her?!"

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Sorry again for the short chapter! This chapter is probably a little boring, sorry! I just wanted to kind of elaborate on why Kazuma was so upset, as requested by ! Promise and SWEAR a lot more action in the next chapter! Sorry, I'm also trying to build up suspense a little too!!! ^-^


	5. Chapter 5

Hello, everyone! SO, SO, SO sorry for the late update! I guess I was just slacking--don't be mad at me! :(

~I do not own any rights to Kaze no Stigma~

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Kazuma looked down at Kenichi's furious face, trying to hold in his anger. "Because I'm smarter than you are," he said.

If it was possible for Kenichi to look any angrier than he already was, he was doing it. "You...you bastard!" he raged. "This isn't happening!"

"But it is," Kazuma said coolly, turning away. "And if you know what's good for you, you'll never do this again. Now get lost before I change my mind and kill you right now." Kazuma reached out to pick up Ayano, but he was suddenly thrown backwards out of the tree. He was just barely able to stop himself from landing on his back.

"No way are you leaving with her just yet!" Kenichi's eyes were hidden from sight by his hair. "There's a new step to winning this game."

Kazuma sighed, trying to hide his annoyance. If he'd found her, Kazuma could be relaxed about _her_ safety, right? "I thought the game was 'Hide and Seek'. I don't remember there being anything else after finding the person."

The insane, wild boy laughed. "In my game there is!" he said.

Kazuma stood his ground and glared at him. "Care to fill me in on what it is?" he snapped.

Kenichi finally raised his head; revealing his crazed blue eyes. "You have to fight me to get to her. If you get past me, you need to be up and in the air with her to be safe, because I'll still try and stop you."

"Sounds easy enough," Kazuma said, sighing inwardly. The maniac really wasn't thinking clearly; it would be all too easy for Kazuma to distract him with a few wind magic attacks and get to Ayano.

"Does it?" Kenichi said with a cruel smile. "Because the same rules from the start apply here: any damage to me is damage to her. If you slice my arm, her's will be, too."

Rage boiled in Kazuma's stomach. Why was Kenichi so hell-bent on killing Ayano? Why did he enjoy killing people? What was the _matter_ with him?!

"Then I'll have to try hard, won't I?" Kazuma snarled. He leaped into the air and headed for Ayano, hoping to be out of range for any attacks from Kenichi.

Suddenly, though, Kazuma was thrown backwards by an unexpected attack. As he stopped his fall again, he saw a dark mass engulfing the tree. _A shadow magic user?!_Kazuma thought in confusion.

Kenichi smiled. "Surprised, Kazuma?" he cackled.

Kazuma didn't answer. He flew at the barrier, slicing at it with some wind attacks. They would cut slits through the thick purple then immediately fill up again. Even if he were able to get an opening big enough, he wouldn't have a lot of time to get through it.

"How about you take Ayano out of the mix and fight like a man, you little brat?!" Kazuma yelled to him.

The boy just smiled nonchalantly in a rueful kind of way. "I wish I could; I'm such a selfish little boy."

A frontal attack blasted Kazuma back a few feet, but he remained standing upright in the air_. This is just like when I had to save Ren_, Kazuma thought angrily_. Only that time, I had Ayano's fire magic to help_. Of course, even though he hated to admit it, Ayano's backup would have made a hell of a difference in this situation.

Infuriated again, Kazuma summoned wind spirits, which quickly came to his aid. The wind slammed into the barrier of shadow surrounding the tree; blowing it away with a _whoosh_. Seeing his chance, Kazuma darted in, flying as fast as he could to try and beat the shadows.

The shadows sealed back together just as Kazuma arrived, stopping him and sending him flying backwards. Kazuma narrowly avoided landing on his back on the park concrete.

Kazuma rose into the air more and stared at Kenichi with cold hatred_. I can do this_, Kazuma thought in disgust_. He's just an annoying little pest--nothing that should be too hard for me to handle_.

Kazuma stopped and took a minute to call on the powers of the Contractor. Once done, he opened his eyes; revealing his blazing azure-blue irises. Winds of purification spiraled down from the sky, and Kazuma closed them in around the tree.

"Wait! No! Stop!" Kenichi screeched. "This isn't fair!"

"Well, life's a bitch, now, isn't it?" Kazuma said coolly.

"You can't do this!" the boy wailed. "I _always _win! _Always_!"

The shadow barrier was almost instantly affected by the purification winds. The dark-purple coloring slowly faded into a dull velvet which slowly melted away to become nothing more than the ordinary shadows cast by the moonlight. A breeze not caused by Kazuma gently swayed the branches of the cherry blossom tree back and forth. A couple of petals floated gently down to the ground to rest on the grass.

Kenichi shook with uncontrollable rage at his defeat. "You--you _swine_!" he snarled.

"Nice choice of words," Kazuma said as he headed lazily for the tree; trying not to show how worn out the Contractor powers had made him.

Kenichi started stomping his feet up and down, having a tantrum like a little toddler. "No, no, no, no, _no_!" he whined hysterically.

Kazuma lifted Ayano into his arms. "Tell you what, Kenichi," he said conversationally. "I'll have a real fight with you later. Only this time, Ayano can't be involved. Then you can actually win without stupid little _rules_ helping you the whole damn way."

"Fine!" Kenichi snarled, trying hard to reel back his temper tantrum. "Tomorrow; same time!"

"Fine with me," Kazuma said in annoyance. He sailed away into the air; sure he would just barely make it back to the Kannagi estate before he collapsed from exhaustion.

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Once again, VERY sorry about the late update! And this chapter probably sucks because the fight scene wasn't all that great. But rest assured, another one is on the way! I swear, it will be a lot better! And if you have any suggestions on how you think I could improve the battle sequences (sorry; had to use the word ^-^), please feel free to offer them! Just be nice, please! Anyways, read and review! ^-^


	6. Chapter 6

What's up, everyone? I guess this chapter is one of the more of the AyanoxKazuma fluff chapters. Hopefully this is a good chapter, since I waited so long to update. And thanks to Zephyra-chan for the battle scene advice! It's greatly appreciated! ^-^

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To be curt, I was scared. I was having a horrible dream where everything was black, dark, and full of--nothing. I couldn't move, couldn't speak, and couldn't even scream for help. In the distance, I thought I heard yells and shouts...blasts and gusts of wind like there was a storm going on...

Then I heard a very familiar voice; one that always filled me with warmth: Kazuma.

I listened some more, and realized that the far-away shouts were threats. What was going on?! Was Kazuma fighting someone? I needed to help!

I struggled to move again, but I couldn't. Something held me back; locked my muscles in place against my own will. _What the heck?! _I thought angrily, fighting against the hold as much as I could. _Why can't I _move_?!_ But no matter how hard I fought and pushed against my strange, invisible binding, I couldn't move. I couldn't even twitch.

Once in a while, as I continued to struggle, I would suddenly sink into a deeper, dreamless sleep. But then, quick as it happened, I would return to the awful nightmare of immobility.

Wind roared even louder than before in the distance, and I could practically picture Kazuma's purification winds tearing down from the sky to the earth. Strangely, the sound was almost comforting. I guess it was because it was the only thing that seemed normal in this bizarre dream. It almost seemed like a lullaby, slowly letting me relax and letting the panic of not being able to move seep away, and even letting me sink away...from the...noise...

........................................

"Ayano?"

His voice flowed through the bleariness of sleep, waking me up a little. Was this still a dream, or was I really waking up this time?

"Ayano. Can you wake up for me?"

Wait a second. He kind of sounded breathless. I frowned to myself and tried to wake up more; fighting against the heavy fog that filled my mind.

Something suddenly touched my cheek. Kazuma's hand?

I heard him sigh. "And here I thought your day couldn't get worse," he said sympathetically.

That woke me up. I snapped my eyes open to see Kazuma leaning over me, his hand still resting against my cheek. Above him, the navy blue sky was cast in a slight glow by the moon and stars.

I irritatedly pushed his hand away, trying to ignore the tingles that went down my back at his touch. "Don't touch me!" I snapped. I sat up and looked around. I was in my courtyard. I turned to give him a glare. "Care to tell me why I'm sleeping out _here_ with _you_ watching me?" I snarled. Really, who just sat and watched people sleep?!

Kazuma just gazed down at me from where he knelt beside me. He looked kind of beat...kind of like he did after he summoned all of his power. His eyes were guarded and unreadable as they bore into mine.

After a minute, I frowned. "What?" I asked.

Suddenly, he clenched his teeth together with a _snap_and put his head and hands on my shoulders in a sort-of hug. "K-K-Kazuma?" I stuttered in surprise, my cheeks heating up.

"That bastard," Kazuma snarled, his voice sounding a little shaky. "He almost killed you!"

I froze, listening to his ragged breathing in my air. "What?" I asked in confusion.

"Do you remember _anything_from earlier today?" Kazuma asked, pulling away and looking into my eyes.

I tried not to let his prying eyes try to confuse me. "Well....the last thing that I remember is seeing a blond-haired boy. That's the last thing I remember. After that, there's...nothing." I looked at him, and saw that his jaw was tight, and his eyes blazed with anger. "...Kazuma? What happened? Do you know him?" I asked uncertainly.

Kazuma snorted in disgust. "Know him? Not really. But I know enough and he's done enough to make me hate his guts."

This was getting annoying. What had happened today? "Kazuma!" I said sharply, grabbing the front of his shirt in my fist. "What. Happened. Today?"

"Today, when I left you, I went to talk to Tachibana," Kazuma started, ignoring my angry fist. "She gave me a solo case specifically because she didn't want what happened today to happen."

I tightened my fist. This was getting nowhere.

"Stop being impatient," Kazuma said in annoyance. "Recently there's been a lot of cases of girls going missing and dying because their boyfriends failed to find them in this twisted freak's 'Hide and Seek' game. Today, that blond-haired guy that you last saw, _he's the culprit_. His name is Kenichi Seki."

I stared at him, listening to every word. I still hadn't released my hold on his shirt.

"Every time he speaks directly to a girl who's having an emotional instability at the time, he has complete control over her. After he does, he takes her away and hides her; leaving a note in her boyfriend's room telling him where to find him, at what time, what's going on, and what the stakes are."

My brow furrowed in confusion. "But--if the boy revealed himself, wouldn't the police just be contacted and arrest him or something?"

Kazuma's eyes flashed. "The kid plays dirty. He clearly states that if anyone is told and he himself is harmed, instant suffering is inflected on the girl."

I curled my lip in disgust. "Playing safe, huh?" I growled. I unconsciously tightened my grip on Kazuma's shirt.

"Yeah. And the victim _always_dies." Kazuma's hands suddenly wrapped around the hand and wrist that held his shirt. My cheeks flared, and my heart sped up. I was suddenly caught in his intense gaze, and I couldn't look away. "And that's _exactly _what almost happened to you today," he said. "He took you, Ayano."

His hold on my hand was warm and gentle. I was already being distracted by his eyes; I didn't need to be distracted by his touch, too! I tried to pull away, releasing his shirt, but his grip only tightened. He pulled me closer, so his face was mere inches from mine. "How do you think I found out what was going on, Ayano?" he asked in a low voice.

I stared, mesmerized, into his dark eyes. I thought through his question and realized with a jolt that _Kazuma _had gotten the letter.

Which meant...

"No!" I shouted, shaking my head quickly as my cheeks got even _more_ red (if that's even possible). "That's not how it is! You know that better than _I _do, Kazuma!" I clamped my lips together, realizing what I'd just said. Would he see the double meaning behind that last sentence?

If he _had_ seen the true meaning (which he probably did), he didn't show it. He put his face even closer to mine, and a smirk suddenly played at the corners of his mouth. "Are you sure that's true?" he asked, his warm breath fanning my face.

I tried to keep my breathing even. "S-s-s-stop being an idiot!" I snapped, trying to cover my embarrassment with rude comments. I pulled away and stood up quickly.

Kazuma stood up and looked at me, still smirking. "Go get some rest. You look like hell."

Rage instantly boiled up inside me. I summoned Enraiha to attack, but Kazuma was already hovering out of reach above me.

"Take a moment to calm down," he said sarcastically.

I ignored him and took a few deep breaths. After a few minutes, I was calm enough to put Enraiha away. "So did you get rid of the guy or what?" I asked.

"No. I'm going to go kick his ass tomorrow," Kazuma said with arrogant surety.

"Do I get to help?" I asked, anger tightening my voice. At that moment, _nothing_would have made me feel as good as flying at Kenichi with Enraiha and splitting him in half.

"Nope." Kazuma grinned down at me evilly.

"Why?" I demanded flatly.

"Because you'll be no help. You'll be hypnotized by his voice."

I tried not to let that comment get on my nerves...even though it was true.

There was silence as I stared up at him, feeling frustrated that I didn't get to help him fight that idiot Kenichi. Kazuma just smirked down at me the whole time.

"I have a question, Ayano," Kazuma said after a few quiet minutes.

"What?" I snapped.

"If Kenichi can only mesmerize girls having emotional instabilities, what were you mad about when he caught you?"

Funny how he instantly assumed my 'emotional instability' was fury. "I was mad because you piss me off!" I yelled up at his smug face. "You're an idiot!" I whirled and stomped inside, leaving Kazuma behind as I tried to control my emotions. Like that will ever happen.

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Okay, this was a longer chapter! Read and review, please! I hope it was okay and not too out of character! ^-^


	7. Chapter 7

Finally, I reappear. '-.- Sorry about the loooooong wait. I've just been so nervous about this fight scene. It's ridiculous, I know, but I'm just weird that way. Anyways, after all this time, here it is.

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Kazuma landed firmly on the ground; his eyes blazing determinedly. "Ready to die, you freak?" Kazuma asked the boy before him.

Kenichi, who seemed to be over his loss yesterday, gave a polite smile. "Ah, Kazuma," he said. "It's good to see you again. How is your friend?"

Kazuma grimaced and gave a low snarl. "Shut up. I don't feel like being friendly today."

"Okay," Kenichi said with a sigh. "You really are violent, aren't you?"

"And you really can't shut your mouth, can you?"

Kenichi's pleasant smile suddenly contorted into a cruel, mirthless smile. "Fine. If you don't feel like prolonging your failure, let's end this right now." He stretched out his arms, and the scenery began to change. All the afternoon shadows, whether from the trees, the bushes, or just the cracks in the sidewalk, began to creep towards Kenichi; gathering around him in a swirling dark-purple mass.

Kazuma also began gathering his power as he watched Kenichi with cold hatred.

"Are you sure you want to oppose me?" Kenichi yelled over to Kazuma.

"You should be asking _yourself _that question!" Kazuma called back.

Kenichi gave a snarl before hurling a shadow ball straight at Kazuma.

Seeing the dark mass streaking towards him, Kazuma hurled a sicle of wind through ball; slicing it in two. It came apart and disapparated with a small _bang_.

"Do you honestly think that's all I have?" Kenichi asked upon seeing the look of scorn on Kazuma's face.

"Until you prove it to me, yeah."

Kenichi smiled evilly. "Fine, then. Let's step things up a bit." He put his palms out in front of him and streaks of shadow hissing through the air.

Kazuma was able to block most of them, but a couple hit him and left black smudges and would-be-bruises on the arms of his jacket. "Okay, then," he muttered, and flung himself into the sky. "How's _this_?!" he screamed, sending wind sicles reeling towards Kenichi.

The sicles cut through the shadows, but did nothing but scratch him a bit. Kenichi, laughing maniacally, threw dozens of shadow balls Kazuma's way with amazing force and speed.

Air went spinning crazily around Kazuma, shielding him from the attack. After the attack had passed, Kazuma blew the wind outward. It gusted for Kenichi, whoosing loudly. Though the sicles had barely touched him, the gust was able to knock him backwards with amazing strength.

Refusing to give Kazuma an advantage, Kenichi sent more balls of shadow flying towards him as he sailed backwards onto his backside. All but one of the shadows missed Kazuma. The one that hit exploded so loudly, they could feel the earth vibrating beneath their feet.

Kazuma was able to dispell some of the blast with wind, but it was futile. Most of the blast knocked him backwards and down onto his back. Luckily for him, he landed on the grass.

_Okay. That didn't hurt in the least, _Kazuma thought sarcastically.

If only he could call on the best of his power... That brat Kenichi wouldn't stand a chance if he could just call on the powers of his contract. But with how Kenichi was attacking him relentlessly, he would never have a sufficient amount of time to call on the power.

Shadow sicles came slicing through the air. The ones that made it past Kazuma's barrier of wind sliced through his clothes and cut at his skin with cuts that burned like hot coals.

Anger burned stronger than ever in Kazuma's stomach. Wind whistled and roared in the wake of the wind sicles that Kazuma sent full-force at Kenichi. To Kazuma's satisfaction, a couple managed to knick Kenichi's face and sent rivulets of blood streaming down into his mouth and his eyes.

"Just give up, Kazuma!" Kenichi screamed, sending a shadow gust booming towards him. Kazuma went flying backwards again and landed painfully on his arm before he could cushion his fall with wind. "You disgust me! Why don't you just give up?! You'll never win!"

Brushing away the pain completely, Kazuma leaped to his feet. A whirling mass of wind blew like a twister at Kenichi. The air was filled with a roar like a hurricane, and Kenichi's furious words were lost in the din of it.

Kenichi was thrown a good 30 feet by the blast. He pulled himself to his feet, his teeth clenched in anger. "Do you honestly think you can beat me?!" he screeched over the long distance. The black-purple shadow mass began moving and twisting around him. "Let's just see how strong you REALLY are!"

Suddenly, as Kazuma braced for the attack and Kenichi gathered his shadows together into one big blast, something--or some_one_--jumped from a nearby tree and onto the ground.

"Oh, yeah?!" Ayano yelled. "Let's see how strong _YOU _really are!" She held Enraiha in front of her fearlessly.

A sick grin appeared on Kenichi's face, and Kazuma clenched his teeth in anger. Why was Ayano so STUPID?!

"AYANO! YOU IDIOT, GET OUT OF HERE BEFORE HE--!"

Kenichi cut him off when he said silkily, "Come here, Ayano. I am in need of your assistance."

Ayano's eyes went blank, and she moved forward towards Kenichi. Kazuma swore under his breath.

"Things are about to get more interesting, Kazuma!" Kenichi shouted triumphantly across to him.

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Whew! Once again, sorry for the long wait! Please review!!! It stimulates me and encourages me to update sooner! ^-^


	8. Chapter 8

I am SUCH a slacker!!!! Please forgive me! `-.- Anyway, here we go!

~I do not own any rights to Kaze no Stigma~

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"How nice of you to drop by, Ayano!" Kenichi said with a malicious smile. "Now, let's see just how well Kazuma does when he's fighting against _you_! Attack!"

Ayano leapt forward, Enraiha blazing in her hand. Her expression was vague; her eyes look far away.

Kazuma leaped backwards, the heat from Enraiha's flame engulfing him. "You're a coward, Kenichi!" he yelled angrily as he hung in midair.

"A coward? No!" Although his voice was calm, Kenichi looked totally insane. He had never lost at his own game, and now this was too much. His mind had snapped and he was going crazy. "I'm merely making this more exciting! Now go, Ayano! Use Enraiha and kill Kazuma!"

Ayano flew at Kazuma, her hair flying back from her face. Fire split through air and straight towards Kazuma. Kazuma flung her away from him, and she landed gracefully on the ground below before springing right back at him with another direct attack.

_This isn't how Ayano fights_, Kazuma realized as he dodged Ayano again and sent her flying with a cyclonic gust of wind. He looked down and realized that Kenichi was talking to himself. No...he was giving Ayano directions.

Of course! How else would Ayano know what to do? Her mind wasn't even conscious! So, if Kenichi was basically the one doing the fighting, he wouldn't know a few things about Ayano and the full extent of her powers.

Ayano jumped into the air, giving a slash of Enraiha that sent flame burning and roaring at high speed towards Kazuma. She followed close behind with a few more hacks and slashes of the flaming sword.

Heat blew him backwards in the air with an blast of sound, and Kazuma flung his arms up to cover his face. He gathered some wind around him and sent a small twister Ayano's way.

This time, Kenichi easily made Ayano cut the whirlwind in half. The air rushed out in all directions, blowing away into nothing. She rushed him again, the sword heading straight for his face. Just in time, though, Kazuma was able to put up a barrier between Enraiha and his face. Flame licked against the barrier, bursting about in a fountain of heat and light. The two forces were equally matched, and Kazuma struggled to keep up the protective cover.

_I need to get Ayano off balance, _Kazuma thought. He gave the air a violent shove that sent Ayano flying backwards. As she fell towards the ground where she would most likely land on her feet, Kazuma gave her another blast of wind that knocked Enraiha out of her hand. After that, Kazuma made a few things happen at once: Enraiha flew into one of his hands, Ayano was suspended in midair, and Kenichi got a slightly panicked look on his face.

Wasn't the whole purpose of Kenichi's game being hide and seek to make it hard for the person to find their loved one? Looking at it more closely, wasn't it also so that the loved one could never be touched or carried safely away? Obviously, if Kenichi didn't have each person completely separated from their lover with no contact whatsoever, wouldn't it make it easier to use his mind control?

Kenichi couldn't use his mind control if his victim was being physically touched by another person.

Kazuma summoned the wind, and Ayano was carried towards him. In a futile attempt, Kenichi made her raise her arms to attack. Kazuma easily caught her wrists in his other hand, stopping her attack and cutting off Kenichi's mind control. Ayano went limp with sleep and Kazuma called on some air to support her as he still held on to her wrists.

"But--I was--was--_winning_!" Kenichi shouted in disbelief.

"I know. It's pretty sad, huh?"

For a moment, it seemed like Kenichi wouldn't say anything more. Then he began to shake violently and, expecting an attack, Kazuma threw a barrier of wind up in front of himself. Instead, though, Kenichi surprised him by stomping his feet and screaming in the biggest tantrum Kazuma had ever seen. Kazuma was so surprised, he began to laugh hysterically at the sight of him.

"You've got some problems to work out, but I highly doubt you'll do that here. So try improving on that while you're waiting in the next life." Wind sicles soared with a high-pitched whistle through the air, and Kenichi was finished. A purifying wind followed, and then there was nothing left of the shadow-using menace.

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Wow, I am sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo sorry for taking so long! I guess there isn't really an excuse. `-.- Well, anyway, I hope you understood the thing about Kenichi and the mind control. Reviews, please!


	9. Epilogue

Because I've been such a bad author, I've decided to post the epilogue, too. Enjoy! ^-^

~I do not own any rights to Kaze no Stigma~

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I fidgeted nervously at the entrance to Kazuma's apartment building. What was I even doing here? Why was I even giving him these damn chocolates for, anyway? He would probably just laugh at me and mock me for them!

Thinking this, I almost turned around and went straight home. Almost. Instead, I angrily forced myself inside and into an elevator. I didn't even give myself time to think; just pressed the floor button and waited for the elevator to stop. When it did, I shot right out and was banging on Kazuma's door nearly seconds later from exiting the elevator.

The door opened after a few seconds and Kazuma gave me a lazy smirk. "What's up?" he asked.

"N-nothing," I stammmered angrily, doing my best to hide the red box (no, they're not heart-shaped; how girly do you think I am?) behind my back.

"Nothing, huh?" he sneered. "Then what are you hiding behind your back?"

My face flushed in embarrassment. "Nothing, dammit!" I snapped. "I don't know what the hell you're talking about!"

"Haha, it sure doesn't_ look _like 'nothing'," Kazuma snickered. He tried peeking over my shoulder, but I backed up so he couldn't see.

"Stop being so suspicious! You're so damn paranoid!" I yelled. I felt my heat rising even further. "You're such an idiot!"

"Takes one to know one." Kazuma idly leaned against his doorway.

I let out a shriek of fury and agitation. That was it, no way were words of thanks coming from _my_ mouth!!! I threw the box of chocolate full-force at his face before turning and storming down the hall. 

I was just about to step into the empty elevator when an unseen force yanked me backwards. I absolutely knew Kazuma was pulling my leg. I whirled, getting ready to spew some foul words and insults, but none were able to come because Kazuma was standing right behind me. Not only that, but his lips stopped me before I could...as in _kissing_, stopping me.

It didn't last very long, only a few seconds. But it was enough to send jolts of electricity through my spine.

When Kazuma pulled away, he smirked at me. "Better catch that elevator," he said with an evil chuckle. His wind blew me backwards into the elevator right on time for the doors to _ding_ shut.

....okay. I had not understood that all. Kazuma obviously knew that, and had shoved me into the elevator to make me even more confused. Did he have _any_ other hobbies besides driving me insane?

"KAZUMA!!!!!!!" I yelled, punching his floor level button violently.

Still.... Through my anger, I couldn't forgot how those tingles had felt when he kissed me....

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Happy Un-Valentine's Day, guys! It's FINALLY finished! I'm so glad I wrote this, even though it may not seem like I am! Really, I've never had such a writer's block in my life! XD Well, please review! I want to know what you thought of this story! And, looking back on it, I just barely realized how out-of-character Kazuma is.... XD


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